My affectionate, shy shepherd mix attended daycare and boarded at Dogma for three years before we moved out of state and I always felt great about dropping her off here. She had a very close bond with the caring staff and was always so excited to go back in the morning. I loved that she had access to an outdoor play area. When we moved, she had to board for a month while we found a home. The staff went above and beyond to care for her emotionally and even volunteered to take her home with them when kenneling became overwhelming. We miss this place! read more

Dog Ma has changed my life! I have a very busy and easy-going young dog who constantly needs stimulation and exercise, and she is absolutely wiped when coming home from Dog Ma. What impresses me the most is that at any time there will be upwards of 30 dogs, and they know my dog by name! And, none of the dogs have their nametags on as they take collars off when in the enclosure. They seem to know the personalities of all of the dogs, and when I said that she was crazy, they said that was the best kind. Really is a huge weight off of my mind that I can drop her there and she'll have a great day playing and be exhausted in the evenings. read more

I knew that my 6 month old puppy had separation anxiety. I took him to Dog Ma in the hope that he would get more relaxed being separated from me and to have him socialize with other dogs. After one day of day care, I was told that he exhibited anxiety and they suggested that I take him to an indoor facility. I was very disappointed that they did not offer any other suggestions on how to help him. I eventually took him to "Your Dogs Best Friend" where is he has flourished and not longer has any anxiety. I'm disappointed that the staff if Dog Ma were not concerned about being inconvenienced by an anxious dog than they were about his well fare. read more

I have been bringing my pup/dog here since 2010, even after we moved to Alexandria, VA. They know him by name and know how to take excellent care of him even now in his "old dog years". Love Dogma, and highly recommend to anyone who wants the best care, an outdoor setting, and true love for your dog. read more

One of the best daycares in the city! The staff is knowledgeable on dog behavior and appropriate play. They have excellent dog to human ratios. The yards are always clean. The staff are always excited to see my dog (who is also excited to see them) and always seem know who she is before I even open the gate! My dog is always a tired and happy dog when leaving Dogma! read more

Our pup Asher LOVES Dog-Ma! We bring him for daycare a couple of times a month (when we can't accommodate coming home to let him out for lunch). For a little more than what you'd pay a dog-walker, your pup gets to play all day long and comes home tired and happy. Our dog is super social, so he loves getting hours of play in with new doggies. The staff is very attentive and caring - they always recognize Asher by name, and give us a small report at the end of the day about how he did. Because it is an outdoor play facility, it can be rough on doggie paws. The first time we brought our pup, his paws got a little torn up and he licked/chewed on one until it got infected. Now, we give him an Epsom salt soak when he comes home from Dog-Ma and monitor to make sure he doesn't need to go in the cone of shame to prevent licking/biting. We haven't had any problems since then! The staff also monitors if his feet are getting sore, and let him go inside the office and take a break if it seems like he's hurting. For social dogs, and if you're decent at paw care, can't recommend this place highly enough! read more

I just can't do it. I guess I am spoiled because I take my dog to PetSmart Doggie Daycare on Rt 1 Alexandria, VA for only $23 a day. PetSmart's dogs are grouped by size and if you have a bigger (timid) dog that prefers to hang with smaller dogs that is allowed. PetSmart is just soooooo much cleaner and organized. I promise I am not a PetSmart employee. But I was looking for a spot much closer to home so I checked out Dog-ma. It is just soooo dirty inside. Rusty kennels, lack of staff, you have to walk into a room full of dogs that bumrush you. If you are scared of dogs other than your own this will certainly spook you. I noticed some dogs were outside and it was freezing, and they weren't supervised. I just don't know how people love it but if you don't know any better....... read more

I think Dog-Ma is awesome and so does my dog Oreo :) Oreo is a VERY SHY dog and I was overcome with nervousness leaving her for her trial sessions at Dog-Ma. I spent a lot of time explaining Oreo's personality and issues to the staff there and they made me feel good about leaving her with them. Though Oreo gave me the sad eyes when I left her the first couple of times, that did not last long. She absolutely LOVES it there. When I tell her the night before that she is going to see her friends in the morning, she WAKES ME UP in the middle of the night hoping it's almost time to go!! I am moving soon but I plan on moving someplace so that I can keep bringing her there!!! read more

The thing we love about Dog-ma is the way the work so hard to create a good pack - both dogs and people. Their insistence on evaluating each dog is key. While our Springer has been going for years and loves it, a friend brought her new, little mixed breed rescue dog who was not comfortable being with other dogs and she was told that Lucy would just not be happy there. SO they aren't running after the almighty dollar, they really care about the dogs. read more

My boyfriend surprised me with tickets to Hamilton on Broadway for my birthday - the only catch? We were leaving for NYC the next day, he recently relocated and we have 3 dogs we've never boarded here in DC. I started googling and called several kennels near us in NW DC that I was either put on hold indefinitely, told they were booked already (it was 2 days after Christmas) or hung up on. I expanded my search reading reviews and found DogMa in SE. I called and Beth was super nice and told me to fill out the application online and bring the pups in for an interview that day. I was called within an hour of dropping them off for the interview and given a status update: 2 were doing just fine and 1 was shy but adjusting (he's our biggest but youngest of the 3 and had never been to a doggie daycare/kennel facility before). I picked them up 2 hours later and thankfully all 3 of our furry babies passed the test so we brought them back the next day for a 2 night stay. A DogMa employee who was coming back from a lunch break or going into work for the day greeted our pups by name on the sidewalk before we went in - after them only having been there for 3 hours the evening before! We were impressed! They all ran up to the door excited to go in. We picked them up tonight upon our return from NYC and we had 3 very happy, healthy and tired out pups. We will definitely be bringing them back to DogMa the next time we leave town. I HIGHLY recommend them. Thank you to all the wonderful staff there for taking such great care of our little ones! read more

I have a female Rottweiler who was experiencing anxiety when boarding. Dogma was willing to work with my dogs quirks and were willing to take extra steps until she was comfortable there. I am so grateful to have these pet professionals taking care of my little girl. She loves being at Dogma. read more

I have been taking my Lab to Dog-Ma since she was a puppy and she LOVES it there. She jumps out of the car when I get there and cant wait to get in to play with the staff. She comes home happy and tired! I have been impressed with the staff over the years...They all love the dogs, seem to never tire of throwing a tennis ball, and are happy and cheerful to us bi-peds too! They seem to really love what they do and they really care for the dogs. There was one day that I forgot to tell them my dog wasnt coming and they called to check in and make sure she was alright! I have also boarded my pooch with them too - and while she doesnt love being boarded - she does love Dog-Ma so I feel less guilty leaving her someplace where she is known and loved! I had used a dog walker prior to finding Dog-Ma and can say this is such a tremendous bargain! Cant say enough good things! They are truly an extended family! read more

I like it, but paying by cash only? Can't you get a Square application on your tablet or Smartphone? Cash only means I have to first make a stop at the ATM every time I go there. Its kind of a pain. read more

I would not mind taking my dog here back again. They have great services offered. I don't really get why they're so ignorant when it comes to taking personal instructions though from the owner. But the services were great. read more

We LOVE Dog-Ma and I'm not sure what we would do without their amazing staff and great space!! Stanley is what we call a "special needs" pup -- he needs some extra TLC and training in order to be the best dog he can be and Dog-ma is always there with open arms! Stanley does his happy song and dance on the ride to Dog-ma because he loves it so much..and he's always tuckered out when he comes home from all the fun, love and exercise he gets when he's there. Before we found Dog-ma, Stanley got hurt several times at another area dog daycare, so we really appreciate that Dog-ma staff are trained, professional, and careful when putting together play groups. Thanks Dog-ma!! read more

Just left the D.C. area and sad to leave behind Dogma where our pup came for the past two years for boarding and daycare. The staff here is lovely, and we loved that they were mainly outdoors so our pup could get tons of exercise, good socialization, and make sure to do his business in an outdoor setting too. Our pup always came home tired from daycare (that was the point!) and we knew he was in great hands for boarding. Highly recommend. read more

I recently tried Dog Ma as a last minute boarding option because my regular places were booked for the weekend. I loved how accommodating and laid back the staff was! The best part about Dog Ma, besides the staff, is that the dogs are outside during the day in a fenced in activity yard. I have a large active dog and this is the best solution for him. I will definitely take my dog here again, no question about it. read more

This place is great! The employees are extremely helpful and friendly. My mastiff Stan has become very fond of this place. The employees have worked with him to help him with his social skills and I really appreciate it. He has also boarded here and it was very easy and I felt very comfortable knowing he was there. read more

Dog-Ma has been great for our dog. She is exhausted after she comes home from playing all day and the staff are always watching the dogs. They are very flexible with scheduling and greet the dogs by name when they walk in. One time, my dog had her paw scratched by another dog while they were playing. Dog-Ma called both me and my husband to let us know what happened and watched our dog closely the rest of the day to make sure she did not need to see a vet. We know when we drop her off that she is in good hands! read more

I think Dog-Ma is an excellent place to care for your dog. They have several large fenced outdoor areas and they allow the dogs to play together for long periods of time. My dog is always exhausted and gets plenty of time to play and be energetic. The staff have been wonderful and my dog has always seemed well cared for anytime that I've had her boarded overnight. I've been a customer of Dog-Ma's for over 5 years and believe that the issues mentioned in some of the older reviews on this page have been addressed much better (they now take credit cards). I continue to recommend Dog-ma to anyone. read more